WALTHAM Forest's housing crisis could ease as housing minister John Healey promised to pour an extra £1.5billion into the construction of new homes around the UK.

Part of the Government's Building Britain's Future plans, Mr Healey said construction could begin "in a matter of months" following the Prime Minister's housing pledge.

As well as existing housing commitments and recent budget announcements, this latest investment is aimed at providing another 20,000 affordable, energy efficient homes in the next two years.

The extra investment is also set to extend the Government's programme to restart stalled housing projects and prepare public sector land for new homes.

A number of reforms are also set to go ahead to ease the crisis.

Plans are in place to change current rules for allocating social housing so that those who have spent a long time on a waiting list have more preference.

Choice Based Lettings will also be expanded in a bid to help residents to move nationally, and support is to be offered to tenants who need to move to take up a new job.

A clamp down on sub-lettings fraud is aimed at freeing up more homes and councils will be allowed to keep all the proceeds from their own council house sales and council rents.